Book Excerpt

“I am an adrenaline junkie myself,” Merrus’s projection went on. “Just like all of you, I would have loved the opportunity to play a round of paintball in the War Town arena. Unfortunately, I have not been truthful to you. I did not construct War Town for paintball, or any other popular sport a creative mind may envision for it. My city has an important, yet narrow purpose.”

Worried mutterings washed through the crowd. An emptiness opened up inside me where excitement once was. I looked over at Mikey, he looked as confused as I felt. Everyone looked puzzled, some even scared.

“Now, this next point some of you may already know,” Merrus continued. “On the digital mapping devices you all got, if you zoom out you will see a small dot on the screen indicating your team’s home base. What you all don’t know is what those bases are. On far sides of the map, deep into each team’s side of the city are tall hotel buildings. Within each hotel are five hundred small rooms, complete with beds, individual food rations, running water, and clothing with your team color.”

The nervous murmurs evolved into a mess of confused comments. Some people spoke loudly, already to the point of almost yelling. Others remained quiet with their words, either too frightened or too uncertain to speak any louder.

I looked back to Mikey. His confusion had shifted into fear, I could see it in his face. My mind moved that way too. Merrus was talking nonsense, but if he was telling the truth about our bases then he had to have something in his head. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it was.

Merrus’s face changed yet again. His mere lack of a smile became the slightest of frowns. His neutral gaze became lower and darker. Nothing made any sense, but I had a feeling it was about to.

Merrus continued, “After this speech concludes, the trolleys will no longer be automated and be open to player control and direction, which will allow both teams greater mobility for strategic attacks and swift infiltration of enemy territory. I suggest your first trip be to your team’s hotel, just to see I’m not lying. Or, if you prefer, you can pay a visit to the fences. After the trolleys left, the War Town perimeter fence and front gate turnstiles were connected to an electrical current of one hundred and fifty milliamps. Any aspiring electricians in the crowd may know that is a fatal shock.” Merrus raised a finger and wagged it from side-to-side. “I do not recommend touching.”

About the Book

Title: War Town

Author: Mitch Goth

Genre: New Adult Thriller

For Olly Rourke, War Town’s opening day is a joyous occasion. He is one of a thousand people selected to be the first players in the world’s largest paintball arena. But as he soon finds out, the game he enters into is far more sinister. Two equal teams, locked in the massive arena together, and presented with an armory of real ammunition and a time bomb powerful enough to kill them all. The only way out is to eliminate the other team, by any means necessary.

Author Bio

Mitch Goth currently resides in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he attends Antioch College. When not writing, he spends his time investigating the paranormal and indulging in a good book or movie.